James Zalkin
by shay
Summary: Dumbledore is missing and a new Slytherin student could be the key to defeating Voldemort. Please read and review.
1. Chapter One

Chapter 1

The old man sat at the wooden desk looking at a list of names written on a parchment.The names were written in very neat writing, which appeared to be written with a quill.There were empty spaces in the list where unwanted names had already been removed.Now down to just a few names, there weren't many options left.

The last few remaining names were read aloud: "Albert, I don't imagine most teenage boys take someone seriously that is named Albert.Frederick, there is already an infamous Fred at Hogwarts, one is more than enough.Wilfred, now that's name that will get your head flushed in the toilet in the boy's bathroom.James, yes, that could be a suitable name."For now, he decided James would do just fine, unless he could choose something better before he introduced himself to anyone.

Lying down on the bed, James closed his eyes and focused on completing the spell.He visualized himself as he had looked as a sixteen-year-old boy and said "corpus tempus conversio."

James sat up slowly, unsure if he would be able to stand with the room still spinning so wildly around him.He sat for a few seconds and then stood shakily beside the desk.He held the back of his leather chair as he cautiously moved toward the mirror on the closet door.He had no idea that he would feel poorly for so long after trying this spell.Of course, he rarely did spells of this magnitude on a person, let alone on himself so he hadn't really been sure what to expect.

He stood in front of the mirror trying to get his bearings.Gradually he started to survey his appearance, starting at his feet.Seeing no change there he continued upward.As he progressed little by little he could feel his stomach churning, whether it was from dizziness or nervousness, he didn't know.Finally, he found the courage to finish his assessment.

As he had hoped, staring back at him from the mirror was the face of a young man.Well, not quite as he had expected.The facial features were about right, but he had kept his white hair.He had seen other young wizards with white hair, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.He could always claim to be part Veela, that would certainly be an interesting twist.

Now the first real test.School supplies.

**********

Before James could buy his books and supplies for school he would have to get some money from Gringotts.He had written a note before he had performed the corpus tempus conversiospell so that the goblins could verify the handwriting.As he walked through the silver doors one of the goblins looked up at him and called him over to the counter.

"Hello there, boy.What can I do for you today?"

"I need to speak to, the manager."James said."I have a note here for him."

"Certainly," the goblin said, "I will get him for you.Please wait in the chair by his office."

James watched as the goblin walked into the room behind the counter.He never ceased to be amazed by the efficiency of Gringotts.With so many accounts to look after, it was amazing that it ran so smoothy and with no mistakes to speak of.As he was watching the activity he was approached by a goblin who he assumed must be the manager.

"Welcome to Gringotts.How may I help you today?" he asked with a smile.

"I have a note here," James said as he handed the folded piece of paper to him "I need to access the vault, but as you can understand I need to use a great amount of discretion here.I come to you because I know you handle very delicate situations for many of your clients.I need to withdraw enough money to cover my Hogwart's supplies and for a small amount of spending money for the fall term."

He finished reading the note and carefully refolded it before placing it in his jacket pocket."I assure you, _James_, you have nothing to worry about.I will personally escort you to your vault.I will find out from one of the employees how much is the usual amount taken by Hogwart's students, and we will be on our way."

**********

The shops were buzzing with activity as James finished shopping for his schoolbooks.He had hoped to see Draco and his family here.The more often he "bumped into" Draco, the easier it would be to talk to him and not appear to be too obvious.Of course, there would be plenty of time at Hogwarts, but the sooner he could get started the better.

He looked down at the books that he had just finished buying, although advanced, they looked horribly boring.He smiled as he looked at his divinations book and wondered if Sybil Trelawney would choose him to be the student who would die this year.

He saw Hagrid out of the corner of his eye.As James walked in his direction he couldn't see any sign of recognition on his face.This was a dangerous test.If Hagrid recognized him, he couldn't be sure of what the response would be, but knowing Hagrid, it would be loud enough for everyone in Europe to hear him.

"Excuse me, sir." James said as he approached the large man."I am going to Hogwarts this year and I don't know where to buy my wand."Well, maybe not too bad a question on such short notice, even though Ollivander's was clearly marked about 20 meters away.

Hagrid looked at him curiously and said "You look a little old to be starting Hogwarts.Would you be the exchange student that I heard about?Been a long time since Hogwarts has seen an exchange student."

James smiled timidly."Yes, I am an American.I'll be taking classes with different years of students, mostly with the fifth years though.I have a wand that I bought in the United States, but I understand the best wand shop is right here, somewhere."

"Well, you've got that right.See that store just beyond the broom shop?You can get your wand there.If you want to get it today you better go now, you'll be standing in line all night otherwise."

"Thank you," James said with a smile "I look forward to seeing you around Hogwarts."

"Same here."Hagrid said."By the way, what's your name?"

"James." He said with a smile and a wave as he walked toward Ollivander's shop."

**********

There were many people standing in line at the wand shop.He talked to Timothy Leary while they waited in line.He had known Timothy's father, Alex, for years.He was the now lead wizard in the search for Voldemort and his followers.The conversation went well, James occasionally had to stop himself from calling him Timmy, but otherwise he thought it went well.

He was glad he had taken time over the summer to find out what young wizards and witches were interested in now.When he was young they had very little of the technology that was now available.Of course, he didn't have much time to look at current events and trends in the muggle world, but very few wizards knew much about that.

As he entered Ollivander's he smiled as he remembered his first time in the shop.The measuring tape taking measurements while Mr. Ollivander searched the wands for just the right one.He looked at the thousands of boxes stacked on the shelves and lying open on the floor.

"Well, hello there young man.Who might you be?"Mr. Ollivander asked as he walked out from the back room.

"My name is James Zalkin, I am an exchange student from the United States.I already have a wand, but I was hoping you could fit me for one.I hear you are the best at selecting a wand to fit the wizard."

"Well then," Mr. Ollivander said as he picked up his tape measure, "let's see what we can do for you today."

The measuring tape moved quickly around James as Mr. Ollivander chose a variety of wands from the shelves.As he was handed each one, James would wave the wand a few times.Each time the wand was taken from him and a new one was put in its place.Finally, after what seemed like a hundred attempts to find the right one, James knew he had found the right wand.As he held it in his hand he could feel the wand vibrate.He swirled it around his head as purple and green sparks shot out all over the store.

"Very interesting.Very interesting indeed," said Mr. Ollivander as he took the wand from James.

**********

James stood on platform 9 3/4 waiting for the Hogwart's Express.He looked around, seeing many students that he recognized.Hermoine was just coming through the wall onto the platform followed closely by Harry Potter.Neville was talking to his grandmother and trying to cover the cage for his new owl, Medlin, who was wildly flapping his wings and trying to get the attention of the other owls nearby.

Mrs. Weasley was beside him telling Fred and George to behave and asking all three of the boys to watch after Ginny.James was, as usual, amazed at her ability to deal with her children so firmly but lovingly.As he was watching their interaction, Mrs. Weasley turned and looked at him.

"Hello there young man," she said."Is this your first year at Hogwarts?"

He paused and thought about how he could answer the question."Yes, Ma'am.I have been at Salem Academy in the United States, but I will be spending this year at Hogwarts."

"Well, that is wonderful.It has been a long time since we have had an exchange student at Hogwarts.You'll love it there.Such a wonderful school.Of course, things will be different now that Professor McGonagall is Head Mistress."Mrs. Weasley sighed as she turned to look down the tracks for the train.

James thought about how to respond to this.Would a student from the United States know about the situation at Hogwarts?Rather than take a chance he decided to remain silent.

"Are your parents here somewhere?"Mrs. Weasley asked as she looked at his old tattered trunk and covered birdcage.

"No.They are in the United States.Mom was going to come with me, but she couldn't get away from work."

"Do you have a host family for your stay here?If you need a place to stay, there are many families that would be happy to host an exchange student."

Just then, the train whistle blew as the Hogwart's Express pulled into the station.James was privately very happy to be able to get away from Mrs. Weasley.The less he told people about his situation the better his chances of not getting caught in this charade.For now, he would keep his story short and simple, he was an exchange student and his father worked for the Wizard's Gazette in Massachusetts.

**********

There were still a lot of seats remaining on the train as James walked down the aisle.He chose a seat two rows in front of Draco Malfoy.He wanted to make sure that Draco would see him but he didn't want to be obvious, although he was sure that his appearance would make him stand out in Draco's mind. 

He settled into his seat as people filed in around him.He pulled out his copy of "Wizard's Magazine" and started reading about the latest discoveries in the search for Voldemort and his circle of followers.It seemed that there may be a chance that a spell could be created to find the origins of the dark mark call.That would certainly be a great step forward in the search for the missing wizards from Hogwarts.Maybe this façade wouldn't be necessary after all.

**********

The next few hours were a blur to James.He ate so many chocolate frogs he thought he would throw up.He couldn't believe how much candy the other students in his car could eat.No wonder Mrs. Pomphrey always stayed so busy.He thought that if he was going to spend much time eating candy he would have to come up with a spell to make himself less jumpy from all the sugar.

After Crabbe, Goyle, and Draco got done tormenting other students on the train they worked their way back to their seats.As they passed James' seat, Draco stopped and turned around to look at him.

"Who are you?" Draco demanded.

"My name is James.I'm sure you must be Draco."

Draco looked at Crabbe and Goyle with a satisfied smile on his face.He turned back to look at James.

"So, you've heard of me.Glad to hear it.Why don't I know you then?"

James returned Draco's smug expression.He had practiced his response to this question for days.Draco was so predictable that he would probably be able to follow his practice conversation word-for-word.

"I'm an exchange student from the United States.My father decided to send me to Hogwarts for a year because he thought Salem was too light on dark arts.He says that this place would be much better for me, although before you came along, I was beginning to wonder."

"Flattery will get you everywhere, James." Draco said as he sat in the seat beside him."So, did you hear of my family while you were in the United States?"

"No.I asked some people at the station who you were.They said you were in Slytherin.That's where my father said I should be.If I get in some other house I should consider not going home."

Draco smiled at James."I think we are going to get along very well, James.Very well indeed.Enjoy the rest of your trip.I'll see you at the Sorting Ceremony."

**********

Now standing in line for the sorting he really started to doubt his ability to do this.What if he said something to someone there was no way he could know?What if he talked in his sleep?What if one of the professors started to wonder how he could do such advanced spells?He thought he could keep his skills hidden from most of the professors, but he was sure he couldn't keep it from all of them.The one thing that had gone in his favor was that Minerva McGonagall wouldn't have time to teach with all the excitement over her taking over the school and working with the search for Dumbledore.

Now he was next.As James walked up to the chair with the Sorting Hat he looked around at the students watching him.So many familiar faces looking at him.He didn't have to pretend to look nervous as he sat on the chair, if the Sorting Hat wasn't cooperative, none of the plans would matter.

He put the hat onto his head and a voice quietly whispered in his ear."Ah, I see that you have decided to attempt this ruse after all, Albus.Well then, I guess we should get started."The Sorting Hat paused for a second and shouted out "SLYTHERIN" as a relieved James stood up and walked toward the Slytherin table.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter 2

James climbed into his bed very tired and very full from the enormous dinner at the Sorting Ceremony.  In the past few months while he had been away from Hogwarts, he had certainly missed the food.  It was always his theory that you realized how good things truly were when you weren't able to take them for granted, and his stomach ache was proof of just how correct he was.

Now that the Sorting was completed, James felt much more comfortable with how things would proceed.  Initially, when he had talked to Arabella, he was more concerned about his absence from Hogwarts than his ability to play the part of James, but it now seemed that both things were going well.  He wondered how Arabella was doing in the Gryffindor house.

He thought back to his first conversation with her about the problems with the wards at Hogwarts.  He knew that if the red ward were to fall it would be disastrous to the school, but even more importantly to the students.  Only Arabella had been privy to all the information that he had been able to gather about Voldemort's plan for Draco and Harry, which unfortunately was missing some very crucial parts.  She had been taking care of Harry so long while he was growing up with the Dursleys that she didn't even hesitate when Dumbledore revealed his plan.

Both of them would become younger and go to Hogwarts so they could watch over Harry and Draco.  Albus would become James and Arabella would become Diane.  They would board the Hogwarts Express from different locations so as not to arouse suspicion about their knowing each other.  Albus would be from Salem and be interested in the Dark Arts, Arabella would be from Devon and would be studious so she could quickly befriend Hermione.  She had arranged to come in as a first year student, however, she had taken some exams so that she could sit in on some more advanced classes, too. The only time their plan was revealed was during the Sorting and much to his relief, that went easily for both of them.

The only concern now was for how long the red ward would continue to hold.  The ancient magic used by the Founders had been holding strong since Hogwarts was founded, but, unfortunately, somehow this ward had begun to weaken.  When Dumbledore had initially found the weakness, he researched in every book he was able to find, but he was unable to find a way to strengthen the ward or to find the cause of its weakness.  Something or someone on the grounds was causing it to weaken and if it were to fall, it would allow anyone with knowledge of the forest to enter the grounds unnoticed.  Now, he just needed to locate the source of the problem and find a way to eliminate it before the ward weakened to a point where they would have to move the students to another location.

**********

James returned to the dungeon after breakfast for his potions class.  As he walked down the corridor, he thought back to a time when he took his first potions class as a student.  He was lost in his memories when he heard a voice behind him.

"So suddenly you've decided not to talk to me now that there are other Slytherins around?"  Draco said with his patented drawl in his voice.

"That isn't at all the case, I just didn't hear you calling me.  I was trying to look for the potions class, I don't know my way around the dungeons yet."

"Of course," Draco said. "You can walk in with me.  When Professor Snape sees that you are with me, you'll become one of his prize pupils.  Being my friend can have many benefits, James."

As they reached the door, Draco cut off his conversation about how lucky James was that he had decided to take him under his wing.  He said to James, "We have this class with Gryffindors.  Make sure to sit with the Slytherin students and not them.  I'm sure you will see when we go in why we don't associate with their kind."

James entered the room and saw that the Gryffindor students sat to the left of the room and the Slytherins sat to the right.  No one sat even close to the middle, perhaps for fear that they would be seen as associating with the enemy.  Severus Snape stood in the front of the room by a huge cauldron.  He looked at James with a puzzled look and started walking toward he and Draco.

"Who might you be?" He asked James in a very stern voice.

"I'm James Zalkin.  I'm the student from…"

Draco cut him off in mid sentence.  "He's come from the United States.  His father seems to think, as mine did, that this is the place one comes to learn if you want to be a great wizard.  I've been showing him around and I'm very impressed with what he's had to say."

As he finished talking, Draco looked at Harry and Ron who were snickering on the other side of the room.  He gave them what seemed to be his most threatening look.  They paused, looked at each other, looked back at him and smiled as though they had some private joke that he wasn't aware of.

James caught Diane's eye from across the room.  It appeared that she had guessed about her alter ego correctly.  She and Hermione were sitting together looking at the newest copy _of Witch Weekly.  They were giggling and pointing at something in the magazine.  Well, she was certainly convincing as a teenage girl.  He thought that seemed much more challenging than being a boy, but, then again, he really didn't have much experience at being a girl._

"Are you partially deaf or something?" Draco was saying to James when he finally heard him.  "You would think that you didn't know your own name.  We are going to sit in the front.  Do you want to come with us?"

James nodded, followed Draco to the front of the room, and put down his potions book on his desk.  He noticed that the Gryffindors were all clustered toward the back of the room and Snape was making no attempt to move them closer to the front.  It did seem as though he was teaching this class only for the benefit of the Slytherins.

As the class began, James realized how much he had missed being a student.  Even though what they were studying was very elementary to him, it was a nice change to be listening rather than teaching.  Maybe after this was all over, he would take a correspondence course by owl.  It was certainly never too late to learn something new.

**********

James sat on a bench and looked out over the grounds.  It really was very peaceful and beautiful.  In the back of his mind he couldn't help imagining what could happen if the wards started to fail.  If Voldemort and his followers could gain access to the school, there would be little he could do to protect the students.  He was all too aware of how easily dark witches and wizards used the forbidden curses.  

He imagined the chaos as Voldemort and his followers entered the grounds.  Some students would be running to join their family and friends at Voldemort's side, but most would be fleeing.  Teachers would be defending the students, trying to hold off the spells and curses long enough to get the students off the grounds.  Professor McGonogall could lift the spell to prevent using the Port Keys to get in and out of Hogwarts.  The emergency plan called for the students to be moved to a secret place in Ireland.  The aurors that were contacted would be sent to Port Keys so that they could come there to help the teachers protect the students from whatever threat they had come under.

The plan had been in place as long as he had been there, but fortunately, there had never been cause to consider using it.  Of course, they also had never seen a weakness in the wards before recently, so the plan was never expected to be used.

**********

When he was sure that no one was around him, James pulled out his Ward Watcher and looked at the four colored circles.  Each circle represented a ward that was put in place by one of the founders:  red for Gryffindor, yellow for Hufflepuff, blue for Ravenclaw, and green for Slytherin.  Three of the circles were brightly colored, but one, the red indicator was getting very dim.  

It was certainly plausible that there would be much less time to solve this mystery than he would have thought.  He would have to leave a message for Diane so they could meet and discuss how grave the situation was becoming.  He was glad now that they had the foresight to make arrangements for the way that they would get messages to each other as he pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill to write.

**********

Diane walked quickly across the grounds toward the forest.  Her invisibility cloak would prevent anyone from seeing her and she walked as cautiously as possible to avoid stepping on anything that would make noise and give away her location.  

As she approached the Whomping Willow, she looked at the beautiful old tree and thought that Dumbledore must have exaggerated about how deadly the tree could be.  It certainly looked beautiful and peaceful to her, but as she approached with a long stick out in front of her, the tree started to whip its branches wildly about.  She quickly found the knot and pressed it with the stick and watched as the tree immediately returned to its quiet state.

"Lumos," she said as she pointed her wand down the tunnel.  They had arranged to meet about 10 meters down the tunnel in order to avoid their voices being heard by someone who happened to walk by.  As she started down the tunnel she saw James sitting on a chair looking at something that appeared to be a large pocket watch.

"Albus," she said as she approached him "it is so good to see you.  Well, I guess I should say it is good to see James, but nice to be with you."

He laughed softly.  "You know, I forget sometimes how different I would seem to someone who knows who I truly am.  It is most certainly wonderful to see you too."

"What are you holding there?  It looks like a muggle watch.  Am I later than you expected?"

"No, you are not late.  This is an ancient guide that has been passed down among the Headmasters of Hogwarts since its founding.  I was not aware that it existed until it was given to me on the day that I became Headmaster.  Each of these circles represents a ward that was put in place by a founder.  Until recently, all these circles were equally bright.  Now I fear we are seeing the red circle at the last of its strength."

Arabella looked at the circles on the guide and shook her head as she saw how dim the Gryffindor ward's circle was becoming.  Previously she had not seen any indication that the problems that Dumbledore spoke to her of were actually happening.  Even though she was completely confident in what he was saying, seeing this gave her a new sense of urgency about their task.

"Have you learned anything new about what could be causing this?"

"Unfortunately not.  I am afraid that there are so many things that could be happening that we may never know.  How are things going in Gryffindor?"

"Very well." She said with a smile.  "It is nice to be young and agile again.  I've been trying to do some more research in the library while I am there with Hermione.  I told her that I am doing some research about the founding of the school as a project for my research as an accelerated student.  She, of course, has absolutely no problem spending as much time as I need in the library with me."

They sat silently in the tunnel for a few minutes, each of them thinking of what they should say.  Dumbledore spoke first.

"You know that we don't have much time until we will be forced to reveal ourselves and begin the evacuation process.  I'm guessing at this rate it is only a matter of days until we will have to make that decision."

"I understand."  Arabella said as she looked again at the dimming circle on the guide that Dumbledore was holding.  "I'm not giving up hope that we will be able to find the source of this problem.  Somehow it will work out, it is a mystery but these things always seem to work out."


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter 3

James walked quickly down the hall under cover of his invisibility cloak.  As Dumbledore he would have no need for an invisibility cloak, but as James he was unable to predict whether he would at what age he would reappear.  This certainly was not the time to be taking chances with his true identity being discovered.  It was even more crucial that he continue this charade to obtain as much information as possible from Draco.

The impromptu party in the Great Hall was a great cover for him being away from Slytherin so late.  Although James understood that he was taking a chance of being discovered, this was a risk he felt he had to take.  While he was in the library earlier in the day he remembered seeing a book in his office that had some discussion about the founders intentions when they designed the wards. He had long since run out of resources available to the students, so he would take any help he could get.

As he rounded the last corner in the hall, he nearly ran into Minerva McGonagall, who was standing just outside the door that led to his office.  The noise that he made in an effort to avoid running into her was easily heard and she quickly turned her head in James' direction.

She looked in his general vicinity and said, "Didn't expect to find me in the hall, did you Harry?"

James was stunned.  He could turn and leave and allow Minerva to assume it had been Harry, but that was a dangerous proposition, for Harry and for James.  He could reveal himself and then perform a memory charm, also a dangerous idea for many reasons.  

"Harry Potter, you know you've been caught.  No one else would be sneaking around outside the Headmaster's office in the middle of the night but you," she said, now talking to an empty space beside where James was standing.

After a long pause, James decided that he had been left with no option.  He removed his invisibility cloak and looked expectantly at Professor McGonagall.  As he waited for her response, many thoughts raced through James' mind of how best to handle this situation.  He would have given anything for a few minutes with his Pensive so that he could focus on what he needed to do.

"Well now, Mr. Zalkin.  It seems that I have you confused with another student.  What would a Slytherin student be doing in this area of the castle, especially at this time of the night?"

Having no answer, James just looked at Professor McGonagall, hoping she would take his silence as admission of guilt and send him back to Slytherin House to be disciplined by Professor Snape.  As he looked into her eyes, James thought he caught a glimmer of recognition in them.

"You remind me very much of an old friend of mine."  She paused and smiled.  "Very good company to be in, James.  He has become one of the most respected wizards in our world.  Certainly the most incredible wizard I have ever had the chance to meet."

James couldn't help but smile at Minerva's compliment, and this small acknowledgement was his undoing.

Professor McGonagall suddenly looked very serious, her eyes fixed on James' face.  "But, then again, there's good reason that I should be reminded of that person, isn't there Albus?  I mistook you for the wrong person earlier, but I am most certain I've got the right wizard this time."

He remained silent as he turned and reached for the doorknob to his office.  "Humperdink," he said quietly and watched the large wooden door swing open.  "After you, Minerva."

**********

As James finished his story about his distress over the situation with the wards and his decision to disappear and become a student at Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall continued to stare at him with practically no discernable expression on her face.  James sat behind the Headmaster's desk, waiting patiently for a response.

Minerva slowly stood up and walked to the window looking down at the grounds, lit only by the soft enchanted lights that shone out of the trees.  Still looking out the window she said, "If only you knew how many times in the past weeks I've stood in this exact same spot.  Looking out onto the grounds, wondering what had happened to you.  I've had to make some difficult decisions since I have been made Headmistress, decisions that would have been made significantly less difficult if I had my most trusted advisor to consult."

James stood up and walked toward where she was standing.  As he reached out to place his hand on her shoulder, he saw his face reflected in a pane of glass in the window.  Suddenly, he realized that he could be little comfort to her while he continued to look like James.  He doubted that the Headmistress would feel comforted by a student, even if he only _looked_ like a student.

Slowly lowering his hand, James said, "Minerva, you know…"

"Yes, Albus, I do know.  I won't pretend that my feelings haven't been injured by your lack of trust in me, but I do believe that I understand why you felt you needed to handle this on your own."

As Professor McGonagall turned to look at James there was a loud rap on the office door.  "Who could that be?" The two said almost in unison.

Minerva saw James looking quickly around the room for his cloak and unable to locate it.  "James, you go behind that curtain.  It would arouse a lot of suspicion if you are seen here with me."

James hid himself behind the curtain as Minerva walked to the door.  As she reached for the knob, she turned around to make sure that he was fully hidden behind the curtain.  James heard her open the door and gasp.

"Neville.  Oh my goodness boy, what has happened?"

James peeked around the edge of the curtain to see Neville covered in blood.

**********

Neville was seated in a wingback chair in the center of Dumbledore's office.  Professor McGonagall stood next to the chair, her hand on Neville's shoulder.  James continued to be positioned behind the curtain, though he was finding it increasingly difficult to remain quiet and hidden.

Neville was trying to tell Professor McGonagall about what had happened.  "It was all so terrible.  I froze because I didn't know what to do.  They must have thought I was dead and left me alone."

"Who?" Professor McGonagall asked urgently.  "Who did this?"

"The owls," Neville said quietly.  "They were everywhere.  Coming in through the windows and doors.  They just kept attacking people.  None of the spells seemed to do anything.  People were running and screaming, but they just kept attacking."

"What were the students doing up in the middle of the night?  How many were there?"

Neville started to quietly weep.  Professor McGonagall walked around in front of Neville and looked him directly in the eye.  "You've been incredibly brave.  Go to the hospital wing and see if there is someone there attending to the injured students," she told Neville.  "I'll go see if there is anyone I can help downstairs until Madam Pomfrey arrives."

Neville grabbed Professor McGonagall's arm.  "Madam Pomfrey was there too, I think.  She came when the students started getting...."  He choked back a sob as he looked up at Professor McGonagall.

**********

Leaving Neville behind, Professor McGonagall started quickly walking down the hall.  She hoped that Neville would be able to find someone to help quickly, she wasn't sure how much help she could be to anyone that she found.  It had been a long time since she had to deal with any injuries, especially on a large scale.  Certainly there were already teachers there helping the injured students.

As she walked down the passageway toward the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall saw bodies lining both sides of the wide corridor.  She certainly hadn't expected there to be so many students up at this time of night.  She moved quietly, hoping to hear sounds of life from the wizards and witches lying around her, but she heard none.  

The scene in the Hall was much worse.  Bowls were overturned and there was food scattered all over the floor.  There were holes in some of the windows where the owls had broken through and shards of glass covered the perimeter of the room.  Looking up towards the head table, Professor McGonagall saw that several of the teachers had been present during the attack.  She walked toward the table, but again, she saw no signs of life.

Professor McGonagall turned slowly in a circle, trying to take in the scene around her.  She had heard rumors that there was going to be an impromptu party in the Hall that night, it looked like the students' handiwork.  Some of the more popular teachers would have been invited, but she was not surprised that she hadn't been informed.  It wasn't the first party she missed and hopefully it wouldn't be the last.

A barely audible moan came from one of the bodies near the Gryffindor table.  She walked quickly in that direction and moved the body of Lee Jordan to find Ginny Weasley lying under him.  It was Ginny who had been moaning, Professor McGonagall could hear her much more clearly now.

She levitated Ginny and moved her onto a table, which she cleared with one sweep of her arm.  Ginny was covered in blood, but Professor McGonagall couldn't be sure how much was hers and how much had come from others.  She picked up a piece of the shredded Gryffindor banner from the floor and looked for some water to soak it in so that she could try to see how badly Ginny was injured.  She wondered what could be taking the nurses so long to arrive.  Certainly Neville had been able to find them by now.

No sooner had Professor McGonagall finished the thought than Neville appeared in the doorway.  He was followed by Hagrid and Professor Sprout who were looking around the room with a look of horror on their face.  She also now noticed that several ghosts were also in the entryway and even Peeves was speechless.

Professor Sprout walked toward the Headmistress, her voice calm and quiet.  "Minerva, where are the people who survived?"

The gravity of the situation had started to take its toll on Professor McGonagall.  Earlier she was pleasantly surprised to learn that Dumbledore was alive and on the Hogwarts grounds, now she was looking at the bodies of her beloved students littering the floor of the Hall.  She looked at Professor Sprout with tears in her eyes and said, "Ginny Weasley is the only person I have found alive.  I put her on the Gryffindor table."

Professor Sprout walked quickly to where Ginny had been placed on the table, drew out her wand, and started trying to heal some of the more severe injuries as quickly as she could.  Although Professor McGonagall would have preferred that Madam Pomfrey be taking care of Ginny, it seemed that Professor Spout was quite capable of taking care of her injuries.

"How could this have happened?" Hagrid asked Professor McGonagall.  "There are wards and enchantments to protect the students from an attack."

"Yes, Hagrid, we do have wards and enchantments.  Voldemort is much smarter than we give him credit for being.  He must have put some type of spell on the owls when they were away from Hogwarts delivering mail.  When the spell activated, all the owls that were under his orders came in and did this."  

Hagrid said, "How could this happen?  How could we not have been prepared for this?  They used our own birds to do this.  How could we ever have known?"

**********

James waited until he was sure that Neville and Minerva had left the room before he emerged from behind the curtain.  He found the invisibility cloak draped over the back of the chair beside his desk.  Amazed that he didn't see it before, he wrapped himself in it so that he could get away from his office before he would be noticed.  He would have to come back another time to find the book.  There were much more important things to be attended to at the moment.

He entered the Great Hall and was amazed at the devastation all around him.  His hope that Neville was exaggerating was quickly dashed.  There must have been 100 people, students and teachers, lying on the floor.  He 

He was working hard to convince himself that there was nothing else that he could have done to prevent this massacre from happening.  He knew that somehow he would help the students get through this situation and he would work with members of the Ministry to bring Voldemort and his followers to justice but he also knew that he would never be able to leave these images behind him.  However, the most important thing now was to decide what path he would take to best help the students and their families.

Professor McGonagall was discussing options for how to handle the situation with Hagrid and Professor Sprout.  "My immediate concern is for the well-being of the students who have survived.  We need to account for every student so that we know where we stand.  Hagrid, I would like you to take a student roster and search all the boys' dormitories."  She looked toward Professor Sprout and said, "Please check all the girls' dormitories.  I will check all the classrooms and other areas after I move Ginny Weasley to a safer location."

Noticing James standing nearby, Professor McGonagall walked to him and put her arm around his shoulder.  "James, we need to get you away from all of this.  I know that you want to find your friends and make sure that they are all right, but first, I would like you to go to the medical wing.  I told Neville to return there and hopefully others have gathered there as well."  

James walked out the doors as he heard Professor McGonagall talking to the ghosts about accompanying the others for the search and asked them to look for students anywhere they could think to find them.  As the voices died away behind him, James found himself quickening his step to get to the hospital wing as quickly as possible.  


	4. Chapter Four

As James reached the door to the hospital wing, he was not sure what to expect. He hoped that he would find a large number of students here, but based on what he had seen in the Great Hall, he realized that it had the potential to be much grimmer than he could imagine. Now, standing outside the door, he was aware of how quiet it was and what that most likely meant as to the number of people being attended to inside.  
  
He slowly opened the door and looked around the waiting area. To his astonishment, there were many students sitting around the room. Apparently, most were too stunned and upset to be making much noise. Many were waiting for medical treatment, but there were others who paced quietly back and forth waiting to hear news of friends and siblings.  
  
Soon after he closed the door behind him, it reopened to reveal Professor McGonagall with a levitating Ginny Weasley in front of her. Murmurs could be heard from the groups of people sitting around the room as they made their way into the emergency area. Ginny had been limp and unmoving as they entered and it seemed, based on the fragments of quiet conversations that James overheard, the others in the room didn't hold out much hope for her survival.  
  
James walked back out into the hall, thoughts rushing through his mind like a waterfall. He was now forced to make one incredibly difficult choice, which would then, of course, lead to a series of more difficult choices. Should he continue on as James Zalkin or return as Albus Dumbledore to lead the wizarding community in its battle against Voldemort?  
  
If he should choose to remain a student, he would be of little help to the teachers and especially to Minerva. She would be forced to make decisions that could determine whether Hogwarts would remain open and would have to deal with the families of the students who were hurt and killed, not to mention handling the Ministry of Magic. On the other hand, he could spend what little time they had trying to resolve the problems with the wards from the inside and still remain in touch with Minerva.  
  
If he returned to his position as Headmaster and became Albus Dumbledore again, he would be in a much better position to deal with the students, families, and the wizarding community. He could work with the teachers and people on the outside that he trusted to find Voldemort and bring him to justice. The problem with this, was that he would no longer be able to get inside information on his own, he would have to rely completely on Arabella who had much less contact with the Slytherins than he had established.  
  
As he stood there weighing his options, Professor McGonagall opened the door and walked into the hall. She quietly asked James to follow her and, without saying a word, he fell into step behind her.  
  
As they walked back toward his office, James continued to mull over his options. He held the door for Professor McGonagall to enter his office and closed it quietly behind them. Each took a seat in a chair near the fireplace, neither wanting to be the first to speak. Finally, James voiced his concerns and the scenarios he had been considering.  
  
"Albus, no one can make this decision for you. Certainly all the concerns you have voiced are valid, however, it seems to me that you already have much invested in this charade. If you would decide to reveal yourself and return as headmaster, who would carry on with your work on the wards?"  
  
James quickly said, "Arabella."  
  
"Arabella Figg?" Professor McGonagall asked in astonishment. "How could that possibly happen? I know you put a lot of stock in her abilities, after all you did entrust Harry's safety to her when he was growing up with those muggles, but this is something all together different."  
  
"Minerva, there is something else you need to know. Arabella is here now. I recruited her to help me in this task and she has been working with me since the start of the year."  
  
Now the acting headmistress looked completely confused. How could Mrs. Figg possibly be helping with the ward situation from so far away? Certainly there was no way she could have been on the grounds without arousing some suspicion.  
  
Dumbledore continued, "She entered Hogwarts as a first year student. She and I have been working together to try to determine what is causing the deterioration of the red ward. You would recognize her as Diane Michaels of Gryffindor house."  
  
"Oh, Albus," Professor McGonagall said softly. "I saw Diane, I mean Arabella, in the Great Hall. She didn't survive the attack."  
  
James appeared as though he had been slapped in the face. He gazed into the fire for a short time and then looked back at Minerva with a look of determination. Looking closely, she couldn't even find a hint of the trademark glimmer in his eyes.  
  
"I believe that it is time for me to make myself known to members of the wizarding community once again. We have lost too many here for me to continue with this charade any longer. I have a few more things I would like to do as James before I return to my true self."  
  
The Headmaster looked lost in thought for a moment and then said, "Please see if you can find Severus for me and I would also like to try to find Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. I believe that they may prove to be very helpful in the days to come. I would like to meet with you and Severus back here in two hours. I'm sure both of you will want to spend some time with your houses before we meet."  
  
"Yes, yes," Minerva said quickly. "I will have a report for you on the status of the students when we meet. Take care of yourself these next two hours."  
  
With that, James turned towards the desk and Professor McGonagall walked toward the door.  
  
**********  
  
Professor McGonagall walked back toward the Great Hall, trying to mentally prepare herself for what she was going to see. Her mind raced as she thought of the calls she would have to make to the parents and the counseling she would have to do with the Gryffindor students. Certainly the Ministry would have to be involved and they would most likely close the school. They had almost closed the school when one student was killed when the Chamber of Secrets was opened 50 years before, it would certainly be difficult to convince the Ministry to keep the school open now.  
  
As she approached the Great Hall, Minerva again found herself facing the remnants of the devastation that lay around the area. Though it was a task she dreaded, she waved her wand to increase the light of the candles floating above her so that she could have a clear look at the students.  
  
Outside the Hall, there were about 10 students lying in a variety of positions, none of them moving. These students appeared to be mostly Hufflepuff students. Most likely they were coming to the party as a group. She tried to keep a running list in her mind of the students she was finding so that when she met with the other heads of the houses she could help them reconcile their lists of students.  
  
As she slowly made her way through the students in the entryway, she heard some commotion inside the Great Hall. Disappointed that someone would make unnecessary noise at a time like this, she stood up and walked toward the doors, prepared to chastise the students that she expected to find. To her surprise she found members of the house Quidditch teams flying around the Hall trying to repair the windows.  
  
Madam Hooch was on the ground directing the activity and slowly making her way through the bodies lying around her on the floor, checking each one for signs of life. The look on her face told Professor McGonagall that she had not been having any luck.  
  
"Minerva," she said quietly. "I asked some of the students to try to repair the windows so that we can erect a ward around the castle. Of course, we will have to have all the windows and doors closed in order for it to be effective."  
  
"Thank you very much for your help. That is certainly something that I hadn't considered. I hope that the scene isn't too upsetting to the students."  
  
With that, Professor McGonagall turned back to look at the students scattered about on the floor. There were fewer bodies than Minerva had originally thought. She expected that most likely her over estimate was due to her initial horror at the scene she found. She now estimated that between the students outside the entrance and those in the Great Hall, there would be about 30 dead. Again her mind wandered to the calls she would have to make to families.  
  
At her feet she saw the body of Percy Weasley. Based on his position it was clear that he had been trying to defend the students against the attack. She had seen one of the Weasley twins on her first trip to the Hall. She couldn't even imagine what that family would be going through in the upcoming days.  
  
Her gaze moved around the room, again trying to take in the devastation as she caught a glimpse of the head table. She saw a body lying face down on the table. It seemed as though she was moving toward the table against her will, something unseen propelling her. She had worked with many of the teachers at Hogwarts for so long, they had become like family to her. Any loss among them would be devastating for her.  
  
Approaching the table, she quickly recognized the small man sitting near the end. It was Professor Flitwick, Charms teacher and Head of Ravenclaw. Minerva found herself choking back tears as she drew closer to the table and confirmed that it was Filius Flitwick. Immediately her thoughts returned to Christmas decorating each year and the beauty that Filius insisted on providing for students who were away from their families for the holidays.  
  
Above all, she would remember his unyielding love for the students. The first example that she thought of was during the staff meeting when she announced that Ginny Weasley had been taken into the Chamber of Secrets. While other teachers seemed to be unable to respond, Filius had burst into tears. As was the case in so many situations involving him, he was unapologetic for his concern for the students and their well-being.  
  
Now, more than ever, Minerva was determined to discover the source of this attack and bring the people involved to justice. 


End file.
